The morning......once again an absolutely gorgeous morning here in the RGV!!!!!! I was up by 7am......read some online newspapers and had two mugs of my Fr. Roast coffee.....and soon the rest of TheHowserHouse came alive and soon we were all involved in our coffee and/or tea.
The 1st Lady went to her 9AM Line Dancing class this morning at the Rec Hall......and upon her return, Jeremy and the 1st Lady and myself all left for the border to spend some of the day in Mexico. It only takes a few short minutes to make the drive to the parking areas next to the Rio Grande and as usual, the parking lots were almost completely full!!! Our thoughts were expressed that it would be another crowded day on the streets of Nuevo Progreso, MX.
This was Jeremy's first time to cross into Mexico here at Nuevo Progreso.....and he was enjoying the crossing of the bridge, seeing the ridiculous "fence" that is being built on the U.S. side of the river, and arriving on the Mexican side where the culture of life changes sooooooo radically and quickly!!!
We made a quick trip into the first duty free liquor shop where Jeremy was in shock at the low, low stick price for a liter of Stoli Vodka.....$10....and in the states he said he has been paying $30 a liter!!! Soooo, he grabbed three bottles, paid for them and then we were told where we could "store" them just inside Nuevo Progeso at one of their stores.
Having disposed of the packages of vodka, we made our way long the west side of the main drag......popping into shops, looking at the stalls on the sidewalks, checking some med prices at various pharmacies, as well as looking at the prices of other bottles of beverages. Ambling along, he was enjoying all of the noise, the small children trying to become sales pros on the streets with their little boxes of Chicklets gum,and all of the other sights, sounds, and aromas on the street.
Soon, we were close to The Red Snapper.....and, as usual, we decided to have lunch there. Jeremy and the 1st Lady both ordered the Garlic Shrimp and two drinks each......and I ordered the Fried Shrimp with two Margaritas. Again......both choices were soooooo good, sooooo fresh, soooooo enjoyable!!! The restuarant was packed with people.........but, we were shown a table when we first arrived....and so, no long wait to get our orders placed and receive the delicious meals!!!!
Out on the street again, we soon noticed that there were not many people there at all!!!! A bit strange, considering the number of vehicles in the parking lots, but perhaps they had completed their shopping and scurried back across the Rio Grande to the north????? We continued our walk south, then after the 4th block, we made a turn to the right along the school wall and ambled over to the "Progreso Market"......sort of a strip mall within a small compound.
We walked around a bit, stuck our noses into Arriba's but decided to not sit down, but to move on with our shopping and sight-seeing. Again, we went into Roxy's store where there is a wonderful selection of some quality Talavera pottery, as well as many, many other Mexican crafts!!! Having made a couple of purchases of T-shirts earlier, we didn't purchase anything here this time.
Leaving there, it was back to the Main Street....and then back four blocks to the bridge area. We did make a stop in a little shop to purchase a metal Gingko.....a lizard that was done quite nicely for a wall hanging. The price quoted was $18....but after walking out of the shop when he wouldn't meet my price offer, the owner followed me out and lowered it to $12. I had offered $10.....and so, after a bit more haggling, I took it for $12.
As we approached the place where we had stored our liquor purchases, I became interested in some very, very colorful baskets being sold by a fellow on the street. Jeremy and I both enjoyed looking and haggling for a basket or two!
Returning to the bridge, we crossed over to the states, presented our passports to the Border agents, and then paid the Texas state taxes on the vodka that we had purchased.....$1.25 for each liter. Soon we were back in the truck.....and in a few brief moments we were back in the resort and at TheHowserHouse.
Jeremy and I decided rather quickly to head for the pool, where we spent an hour in the pool and sun and hot tub, along with reading our current novels. Returning to the RV, we grilled some hamburgers and had a great little meal.
During the early evening John and Julie dropped by for a hour or so of visiting and story telling. Cedar Creekers are always, ALWAYS full of some great stories of our adventures while rving!!! It was good to see them and to spend some more time with them!!! Glad you stopped by,guys!!!
And sooooo, another quick day is gone. Tomorrow we plan to go South Padre Island for the day........spend some time on the beach if warm enough....and then have some seafood for dinner!!!
As always with me..........
LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
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